Salty & Sexy: CF Reproductive & Sexual Health (Part 1)

With Raksha Jain, MD and Traci Kazmerski, MD, MS

Sexual and reproductive health isn’t always talked about in CF clinic—but we think it should be part of normal clinic discourse. In episode 3 of It’s a Lung Story, Ahmet, Lauren, and Andrea are joined by two incredible guests; pulmonologists Dr. Raksha Jain and Dr. Traci Kazmerski, national leaders in CF sexual health research and absolute pros at keeping it real. Together, we talk about how modulators are shifting fertility expectations, what male infertility in CF actually means, the pregnancy boom, and why pH levels matter more than you’d think.

We also get into why CF care teams need to talk more openly about contraception, capacitation (look it up!), and yes—there’s a chocolate visual you’ll never unhear.

And don’t worry—there was so much good stuff we had to split this one in two. Part 2 will drop on 4/30—we'll we tackle menopause, intimacy, hormone therapy, and things you didn't even know you wanted to hear about.

Dr. Traci Kazmerski is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Chair, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Transition Task Force. She is also the Vice Chair of the CFF sponsored Sexual Health, Reproduction and Gender Research Working Group (SHARING). Her research involvement includes the HOPeCF to study the interplay of having CF and becoming a parent on long-term health outcomes, as well as PRIDE CF to understand the intersection of identifying as LGBTQIA+ and having a chronic illness like CF.

She is also interested in Male Sexual and Reproductive Health concerns to define the experiences of males with CF related to sexual and reproductive health. In the coming year Dr. Kazmerski plans to conduct interviews with males with CF, their partners, and parents of boys with CF to study their experiences related to fertility concerns in CF, family-building (including assisted reproductive technology), and identifying useful tools. Her overarching focus is community-engaged research so all these studies are built around people with CF and the CF community. 

Dr. Raksha Jain is a Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and the Adult CF and Bronchiectasis Program Director, as well as the Director of CF Therapeutics Trials at UT Southwestern. She is also the Chair of the CFF sponsored Sexual Health, Reproduction and Gender Research Working Group (SHARING).

Her research interests and involvement includes sex disparities and the impact of sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone on lung health and immunity. She is also studying the impact of pregnancy, including the MAYFLOWERS study to prospectively and observationally understand pregnancy in females with CF. She is also involved in PRIDE CF to understand the intersection of identifying as LGBTQIA+ and having a chronic illness like CF.